In present day data processing and transmission systems, it is common practice to assign a common control processor the task of processing data received from and to be transmitted to a plurality of terminal equipment disposed at a plurality of locations which may be remotely located with respect to the processor. Such terminal equipment typically includes keyboard devices, numeric displays, operator displays, printers, cash drawers, etc., as common equipment at point of sales terminals. Transactions carried out by such terminal equipment require the exchange of data between the remote equipment and the processor, with real-time data handling.
In systems employing a common bus for transmission of serialized data, there has been a practical limit to the degree of remoteness or physical separation of the terminal equipment from the processor due to influences such as noise induced signal degradation, lack of drive, etc. Furthermore, confinement of all processing and memory to the processor not only makes data handling and processing entirely dependent upon the processor, but also reduces the speed at which transactions can be processed.